CANBERRA, Australia, April 29 (UPI) -- Two boats carrying nearly 80 suspected asylum seekers toward Australia, part of an ongoing surge, were intercepted Wednesday, officials said.
The incident happened only a day after four men, two of whom are believed to be Afghan refugees, were found stranded on an island and as survivors from a fatal boat explosion were being released from hospitals into immigration detention, The Australian reported Wednesday.
Officials said the interception of one boat carrying 72 people happened 27 nautical miles west of Bathurst Island north of Darwin, while the other boat, carrying seven people believed to be Indonesians, was stopped near Ashmore Reef.
Afghan ambassador to Australia Amanullah Jayhoon told The Australian a crackdown by Pakistani and Iranian authorities on Afghan refugees living in those countries was a big factor behind the jump in refugee boat arrivals, adding that many more Afghans are going to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.
